MY FRIEND Gek is graduating from Emerson College in UK soon, after a final year art exhibition in June. Seems to me that she has arrived at a major milestone here. Congratulations, Gek!

Browsing through her online album, I was particularly impressed by the interesting evolution of the seven forms (which marked seven phases of her life) and the evident beauty and professionalism in her work.

IN Dutton & Aron’s Two Bridges experiment (1974), male participants were asked to walk across the Capilano Canyon suspension bridge in Vancouver. Others were asked to walk over a low bridge. Although the men were told that they were being asked about creativity and scenery, they were actually being tested on their emotions. The woman interviewing them subtly dropped them her phone number in the middle of the questions. The same woman did the interviews on both the low and high bridges. The end results: Among those who walked on the high bridge, 60% used the number and called the woman back. Among those who walked on low bridge, 30% picked up the phone.

What caused this great discrepancy? Is it:

Nature: The men acted according to “who they are”. Those who walked on the high bridge are single, adventurous men while those who took the low bridge are attached, less adventurous men.

Context: The men responded according to “where they are” – “high bridge” suggests adventure and romance while “low bridge” suggests otherwise.

Hormones: As the men on the high bridge are in a dangerous situation, they had an adrenaline rush, [got into a state of high arousal] and so are in a more romantic mood.

Hope: The men on the high bridge were more suicidal. Approached by an attractive woman, their mood changed to “hope” and so…